OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14557821
BIG T SERVICES
EUNICE, NM·
Event description
Employee killed, others burned by natural gas flash fire
Investigation abstract
At approximately 9:30 a.m. on May 2, 1989, Employee #3 was cutting a 4-inch natu ral gas line with an oxygen-acetylene torch. The line was blind flanged both dow nstream and upstream of the cutting operation. Flimsy gasket material was used b etween the flanges to prevent the flow of gas. The gasket material ruptured unde r pressure, releasing pressurized natural gas. Flames erupted through a 2 inch v ent in the 4 inch pipe. The flame struck Employee #1, causing serious burns on a pproximately 90 percent of his body. He died on May 18. Employee #2 sustained bu rns to his face, back, arms, and hands. He was hospitalized and released. Employ ees #3 and #4 escaped with minor burns.
Victims (4)
-
#1 Fatality Age 53 Male
- Nature of injury
- Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)
- Part of body
- OTHBODYSYS (31)
- Accident type
- STRUCK BY (1)
- Source of injury
- FIRE/SMOKE (16)
- Occupation
- Helpers, extractive occupations (867)
- Human factor
- MALFUNC IN SECURING/WARNING OP (4)
- Environmental factor
- TEMPERATURE +/- TOLERANCE LEV. (11)
- Hazardous substance
- 1640
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 58 Male
- Nature of injury
- Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)
- Part of body
- OTHBODYSYS (31)
- Accident type
- STRUCK BY (1)
- Source of injury
- FIRE/SMOKE (16)
- Occupation
- Supervisors, extractive occupations (613)
- Human factor
- MALFUNC IN SECURING/WARNING OP (4)
- Environmental factor
- TEMPERATURE +/- TOLERANCE LEV. (11)
- Hazardous substance
- 1640
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
-
#3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 27 Male
- Nature of injury
- Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)
- Part of body
- FACE (9)
- Accident type
- STRUCK BY (1)
- Source of injury
- FIRE/SMOKE (16)
- Occupation
- Welders and cutters (783)
- Human factor
- MALFUNC IN SECURING/WARNING OP (4)
- Environmental factor
- TEMPERATURE +/- TOLERANCE LEV. (11)
- Hazardous substance
- 1640
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
-
#4 Non-hospitalized injury Age 39 Male
- Nature of injury
- Burn/Scald(Heat) (5)
- Part of body
- LOWER ARM (17)
- Accident type
- STRUCK BY (1)
- Source of injury
- FIRE/SMOKE (16)
- Occupation
- Supervisors, extractive occupations (613)
- Human factor
- MALFUNC IN SECURING/WARNING OP (4)
- Environmental factor
- TEMPERATURE +/- TOLERANCE LEV. (11)
- Hazardous substance
- 1640
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.